Engaging across languages

CBCity: Our Diverse City

More than 45,000 people in CBCity are not fluent in English – that’s as many as 1 in 5 people in some suburbs.

Low fluency in English

If you’re door-knocking or running a pop-up session in these areas then there’s a high chance you’ll come across people you can’t communicate with in English. Here are some things you can prepare to make the most of your time, and theirs.

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In person

It’s okay to chat with parents via their teenage kids if they’re comfortable with it.

Try using translation apps like Google Translate for face-to-face chats, but keep in mind these apps can sometimes lose the nuance or tone of your message – or even be incorrect. Try to use an app that’s preferred by whomever you’re speaking to.

Try the CBCity ‘Conversation Card’ (see the Helpful Tools section). It will help you decide, together, whether to chat via an interpreter, an app, or at another time.

Reach out to the CBCity Language Aides members so that you can have bilingual workers or interpreters attend face-to-face Council engagements. Speak to Council’s Diversity Officer on 9789 9472.

Speaking through an interpreter takes at least twice as long as without, so allow sufficient time for cross-cultural input and communication.

Target distribution of collateral in languages other than English to services and community organisations that work in those languages.

CBCity: Our Diverse City

Collateral

Consider translating your collateral such as surveys and promotional flyers.

Use visual aids wherever possible. This can include using familiar icons such as thumbs up and down, and adding relevant pictograms with cultural relevance.

Provide information in creative and culturally-inclusive ways, across a range of formats: such as written, spoken, electronic, printed, interactive, etc.

If you’re translating materials, use an accredited service and have it checked by a CBCity Language Aide to make sure that it is locally relevant. ‘All Language’ is a good accredited translation provider.

Include translation in your budget. A good rule of thumb is to budget $100 per page.

Bear in mind that some migrants and refugees are not literate in their own language. Use plain language to ensure people of varying literacy levels can understand translated materials.

Include the Australian Government’s Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) phone number in your collateral: 13 14 50. Their website includes pre-translated materials explaining their service in a range of languages. Learn more at tisnational.gov.au

Use Council’s standard letterhead, which features a translated call-to-action about how to get in touch with Council.